Stream and Watershed Information What does it consist of? Who has it? Where do you find it?

Watersheds and Hydrology What’s Water Got to Do with It? More water moves through ecosystems than any other material The materials that it carries and deposits and the energy that it expends are major drivers in shaping the contour of the land and the habitat availability/suitability for organisms.

Watersheds and Hydrology 1Where do we find water? 2What is the hydrologic cycle? 3How many dimensions does a stream have? 4 How do we characterize stream water? 5What do we want to know about stream flow?

Question 1 Where do we find water?

Global distribution of freshwater – Water storage bins Atmosphere ~ 25 mm Lithosphere ~ 12 mm Biosphere ~ 0.1 mm Hydrosphere –Ice ~ 5100 mm –Lakes ~ 25 mm –Rivers ~ 0.25 mm 9.3

Global distribution of freshwater Water Storage Reservoir Percent of total Oceans Ice 2.05 Groundwater 0.68 Lakes 0.01 Soil Moisture Atmosphere Streams and Rivers Biosphere

Global distribution of freshwater – Another way to think about global water distribution 1 gallon All water 3/8 cup freshwater 2 tablespoons surface water

Watersheds and Hydrology 1Where do we find water? 2What is the hydrologic cycle? 3How many dimensions does a stream have? 4 How do we characterize stream water? 5What do we want to know about stream flow?

Question 2 What is the hydrologic cycle? What is the hydrologic cycle?

Watersheds and Hydrology 1Where do we find water? 2What is the hydrologic cycle? 3How many dimensions does a stream have? 4 How do we characterize stream water? 5What do we want to know about stream flow?

Question 3 How many dimensions does a stream have?

Question 3 Describe the 4 dimensions of river ecosystems Longitudinal Lateral Vertical Temporal

Longitudinal Changes in Streams Certain characteristics of streams change predictably from upstream to downsteam –Channels become wider –Flow becomes slower, but greater in volume –Streams become deeper

Longitudinal Changes – Reach Scale Longitudinal changes are also observed at shorter scales than the entire river length We call this shorter scale the “reach” scale One example of reach scale changes is the pool- riffle pattern found in many streams draining areas with medium gradient like our area Riffle is an area of rapid flow over coarse substrate (rocks) whereas the pool is a slower flowing stretch with finer substrate

Lateral Patterns There are also some predictable changes laterally The stream has its low flow channel, the low point of which is the thalweg The stream has banks which define its frequent flow limit The stream has a floodplain which defines its flow limit on less frequent events, annual or lesser frequency

Lateral Patterns Some streams and rivers will have a single dominant channel while others will have a network of interwoven channels

Lateral Features As rivers increase in size they will develop a complex floodplain system

Vertical dimensions Velocity changes with depth in stream channel Diagram by:Eric G. Paterson Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering The Pennsylvania State University

Vertical Features Hyporheic (below stream) inter- actions Exchanges occur with groundwater just below the stream

Lateral and Vertical Patterns In many large alluvial valleys, creatures that live in ground water and hyporheic water can be found in the subsurface water kilometers from the stream. In other words the stream extends well beyond its channel.

Temporal dimension Stream flow changes Second by second Hourly Daily Monthly Seasonally Annually Milleniumly

How species are distributed in space and time? -- Environments contributing to riverine biodiversity Surface waterSubsurface waterRiparian system Streams Springs Lakes Hyporheic Zone Ground Water Confined Reaches Unconfined Reaches

Selected Important Habitat Factors Substrate Temperature Oxygen levels Flow velocity Food availability pH Nutrient and sediment regimes Organic input and transport

River  Floodplain Edge Spatial distribution of species across a floodplain (lateral dimension) (Ward and Tockner 2001 fig. 9.3) 9.9 Species Richness Percent of mainstem richness 0 100

Watersheds and Hydrology 1Where do we find water? 2What is the hydrologic cycle? 3How many dimensions does a stream have? 4 How do we characterize stream water? 5What do we want to know about stream flow?

What are the major physical, chemical, and biological components used to characterize water quality? Question 4

Commonly measured substances related to water quality Light Temperature Dissolved ions Suspended solids Nutrients and gases Toxics such as metals and pesticides/herbicides Biological features PPCPs

Latitude in degrees N Annual Degree Days (Modified from Vannote and Sweeney 1980) 10.3 Effect of latitude on stream degree days

Temperature C Daily Growth Rate (mg/mg/day) Mayflies Blackflies Midges Modified from Benke 1993 Influence of temperature on growth rates

Watersheds and Hydrology 1Where do we find water? 2What is the hydrologic cycle? 3How many dimensions does a stream have? 4 How do we characterize stream water? 5What do we want to know about stream flow?

What do we want to know about stream flow? Magnitude - how much? Frequency - how often? Timing - when? Duration - how long? Rate of change – how fast? Question 5

October flows – Juanita Creek

Unregulated Regulated

Q H Stage Discharge

How much water is enough? Depends on who or what is using the water Historically managed for minimum flows (what is the minimum flow that keeps fish alive) Legal issue of water rights complicates situation

Stream flow functions 1.Medium where aquatic organisms live and propagate 2.Provide the forces that create and maintain in-channel and off-channel habitat, riparian patch communities, etc. 3. Rejuvenate floodplain soils and vegetation and recharge groundwater

Stream flow functions 1.Medium where aquatic organisms live and propagate –Needs vary by species and life stage –Focusing flow requirements on single species can result in unintended harm to other species –Plays a role in stream temperature and oxygen levels

Stream flow functions 2. Provides the forces that create and maintain in-channel and off-channel habitat, riparian patch communities, etc. –New channel formation –Wood recruitment and distribution –Sediment recruitment and transport –Removal of fines

Stream flow functions 3. Rejuvenates floodplain soils and vegetation and recharge groundwater –Maintain connectivity with hyporheic zones –Redistribute soil and nutrients to floodplain forest –Distribute seeds and prepare seed beds

Watershed data –EPA Surf your watershed Climate data (national and international) Washington Examples of where to locate national data for watersheds and streams

Stream data- quantity and quality –USGS Water Resources Data Soils data – Aquatic biologic indicators – Examples of where to locate national data for watersheds and streams

Local resources for watershed assessment information Juanita Creek habitat assessment methods – Bastyr University Master Plan EIS – bastyr.html Lake Washington WRIA 8 – Slope stability and erosion hazard – aps/maps.html

Take – home messages Flow regimes play a major role in habitat Land-use alters flow paths and storage components and hence, flow regimes Effects vary with spatial and temporal scales Research on which aspects of flow are most critical to various biotic responses are in progress Don’t forget the basic processes involved Don’t reinvent information